


Naruto: The Shiranami Crisis

by KnightxShield



Category: Naruto
Genre: Blood and Violence, F/M, Original Character Death(s), Original Character-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-17 02:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8126047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightxShield/pseuds/KnightxShield
Summary: This is an alternate timeline of the events of Naruto; essentially, many of the events remain as they happened in the series, but some things are changed around.Follow the story of Zosuke Shiranami as he and his squadmates complete missions to uncover the secrets about the Shiranami Massacre, an event that nearly eradicated the Shiranami Clan entirely. Can Zosuke and company find out who committed the atrocities that resulted in Zosuke being one of the last Shiranami alive before tragedy befalls them all?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Zosuke Shiranami, Machina Shiranami, Shogumo Hanataro, Hiro Hyuuga, Hikari Hyuuga, Kategoro Shiranami, the Shiranami Clan, Shirona Shirosui, Jirojin Shirosui, Girana Shirosui, the Shiranami Compound, and the Shirosui Compound © Me
> 
> "Naruto" © Masashi Kishimoto

 

 

 “But, Machina! I wanna go with you and Gramps!” My voice was so high pitched, it almost sounded like a bird call. I heard giggling and laughing coming from behind me and turned my head. “What’s so funny, Hiro!?” My big sister Machina and our clan’s elder, Kategoro, started laughing as well.

 

 “You sound like a spoiled kid, Zosuke!” Hiro was my best friend. His short stature for someone our age got him lots of strange looks and comments from our classmates when we weren’t on missions. I wasn’t that much taller, of course, but that was beside the point. “You can’t always be going on about keeping your family’s tradition when you rebelled against your dad just because you wanted to learn more about being a ninja.” I grimaced and flushed red in embarrassment, but I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

 

 “Well then, we’re off!” My big sister turned, and I watched as her navy-blue hair swayed back and forth in the wind as she and Gramps walked away.

 

 “Shogumo-Sensei.” The third member of our newly-formed squad was Hikari. Both she and Hiro were members of the proud Hyuuga Clan in the Leaf Village. “What happened to Lord Third Hokage?” She hadn’t really understood what had happened during the Chuunin Exams just a few weeks ago.

 

 “Lord Third died protecting everyone in the Village, Hikari.” Our sensei and leader of Team-19, Shogumo Hanataro, was a tall man, maybe in his late twenties. He specialized in Water-Style ninjutsu and genjutsu. He wore the standard Chuunin flak jacket with a black jumpsuit underneath, but his spiky brown hair and that tuft of hair he called a goatee made him look a bit older than he was. “Orochimaru tried to destroy Konoha, but Lord Third stopped him. I heard Naruto went with Master Jiraiya to find Lady Tsunade, though, so it won’t be long before the new Hokage is chosen.”

 

 “Oh…” Hearing Hikari so heartbroken made me lose my smile; I grew up knowing both Hikari and Hiro, but for as long as I could remember, there were special circumstances between me and Hikari, though I didn’t know the details about what they were. “I hope the new Hokage is as kind as Lord Third was…”

 

 “Hey, Sensei. Tell us the story about Lord Fourth!” Hiro had a huge grin on his face, knowing that the story about the Fourth Hokage would make Hikari happy again.

 “Well, about twenty years ago, Konoha was at war with another village. If I remember correctly, we were enemies with the Hidden Stone back then, but I shouldn’t get side tracked.” Shogumo-sensei put a thumb on his chin as the afternoon breeze made his goatee sway back and forth. “Because of his students’ sacrifices during the battle at Kanami Bridge, Lord Fourth managed to cut a critical supply line that the Hidden Stone relied on.” I envisioned myself at that battle, using my special ninjutsu to bring down the bridge. I shook my head to clear away the daydream and intently focused on Shogumo-sensei’s words.

 

  The story went on for about half an hour before Izumo and Kotetsu cut through our sensei’s interesting story. “Hey! They’re back!” We turned our heads and noticed three silhouettes approaching; unmistakable Naruto Uzumaki, the boy who always said he’d be the next Hokage; Master Jiraiya, the white-haired Toad Sage; and Lady Tsunade, the famous medical kunoichi.

 

 “Oh, wow..!” Hikari seemed star struck at the sight of Lady Tsunade. There was an unmistakable air of importance around Tsunade. “It’s Lady Tsunade..!” At the same time, I saw the shadow of a messenger bird bringing the news to everyone in the village. Within an hour, the streets were lined with onlookers, and the trio of Naruto, Master Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade marched a path towards the Hokage mansion. Being one of the first to greet them, I didn’t know what to say; partly because my dad had always told me not to associate with Naruto, but I couldn’t help but like him. He was such a prankster, and he was always getting in trouble just to get the attention, but he managed to fight against a Hidden Mist Jounin and free Kakashi-sensei. He even fought off that giant tanuki monster during the Chuunin Exams and keep it from wrecking the village.

 

  After a few days, the inauguration ceremony was held, and Tsunade was crowned the Fifth Hokage. Shogumo-sensei, Hikari, Hiro, and I were in the mansion, awaiting our first mission since before the Chuunin Exams. The room was small, with a small awning on the other side of the windows. The walls were red, almost the same color of my clan’s special sealing jutsu; I couldn’t remember the name of the jutsu, but I knew it was important for my safety.

 

 “Shogumo.” Tsunade’s voice commanded respect. Hikari, Hiro and I all stood at attention, trying to look as disciplined as possible, but when I saw Shogumo chuckle at our sudden change in discipline, I relaxed. “I’ve got a small C-Rank mission for you and your team.”

 

 “Yes, Lady Hokage?”

 

 “A guard detail mission for a gold bullion transport. There shouldn’t be much trouble, so you should be able to complete it without the need of reinforcements. You’ll be going to the Hidden Sand, so pack plenty of water.”

 

 “No need to pack water, Lady Hokage, that’s my specialty!” Hiro sounded so confident, but I couldn’t help but give him a small jab in the ribs and laugh.

 

 “Ha ha ha, Hiro.” Shogumo-sensei was laughing as well. “Yes, Lady Hokage, we’ll pack plenty of water for the desert.” Shogumo-sensei put on a different face than we were used to; he looked determined to complete his mission with perfect marks.

 

 “Good. You leave first thing tomorrow morning.” With that Lady Tsunade and the other woman that was behind her holding a pig walked out of the room and closed the door.

 

 “Well, no time to waste. Let’s go get some dinner, I’m starving.” Hiro kept his confident nature out in the open so often it almost seemed like he was arrogant. But, it was a nice change of pace to know our second mission was going to be a C-Rank mission.

 

  An hour later, we were at Ichiraku, chowing down on some good ramen. “This is the best! I want more, Gramps!” I had a huge grin on my face, and Teuchi couldn’t help but smile, probably seeing a similarity to his most loyal customer. No doubt, because of my spiky brown hair and love of the great ramen here, I could easily have been a close second to Naruto when it came to eating here.

 

 “Zosuke, slow down..!” Hikari was still only halfway done with her first bowl, and her lavender eyes were wide at how fast I ate my ramen, almost as though I was drinking it like it was water. “You’ll burn yourself.”

 

 “Heat doesn’t affect me one bit, Hikari.” I flashed an even bigger grin to her as I got my second bowl. “Thanks for the meal!” She sighed.

 

 “Sensei, what should we pack for the trip?” She’d decided not to continue berating me over my manners and turned her attention to mission preparation. It didn’t really help that we all graduated the academy late; our particular class was meant for students who were very busy with familial and clan duties.

 

  In my case, my dad demanded that I practice my blacksmithing for seven hours a day while I attended the academy, but even that didn’t satisfy him; he made it a requirement that I practice twelve hours a day after I graduated just to make sure I kept up with my skills as a blacksmith.

 

 “You’ll want a sleeping bag, that’s for sure.” Hiro was just finishing his first bowl of ramen when he turned his faintly purple eyes to Shogumo-sensei. Shogumo nodded, and Hiro went back to his meal, starting on his second bowl.

 

 “Make sure you bring a few changes of clothes, Hikari. I’ll handle the heavy lifting with the water and food rations.” I gagged and almost choked; I hated food pills, and every time I had eaten one so far, I ended up sicker than a dog with a cold. Apparently, Shogumo-sensei noticed my gag reflex and gave me a hard pat on the back to get the ramen up again. “Sorry, Zosuke, I forgot you hate those things.” He scratched the back of his head as he smiled awkwardly.

 

 “Don’t even go there, sensei…” I coughed a couple more times as I thought about my supplies. I knew I’d need a few iron ingots and some coal so I could practice crafting my next challenge: kunai. “Man, I’m going to have to have more weight on my back than either you or Hiro.”

 

 “Oh yeah, you gotta practice your blacksmithing, don’t you?” Hiro let out a loud laugh, but a cough from behind us made him freeze. I turned around and saw Lord Hiashi Hyuuga and my dad standing behind us, and I immediately sat straight up out of fear.

 

 “Hiro.” Lord Hiashi looked really mad, but that was nothing compared to what my dad looked like. My dad wore a longer-sleeved shirt than what most of my clan normally wore, and his vest was a leather-brown color. That vest looked so tattered from all the time he spent in the forge at home. But his face was disappointed and angry at the same time.

 

 “Dad…?” I made direct eye contact with my dad and didn’t dare to blink; I’d learned several years ago that if I just stared, my dad would eventually back down.

 

 “Uncle Hiashi..!” Hiro wasn’t so lucky with Lord Hiashi. He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. “Um… S-sorry, Zosuke..! That was rude of me..!” I shook my head as my dad relaxed his face.

 

 “It didn’t bother me at all, Hiro.” Having Lord Hiashi and my dad, Noro Shiranami, suddenly come into the ramen shop must have also startled Teuchi, as he had two new bowls of ramen ready for them.

 

 “Shogumo, you know the special circumstances surrounding Hikari and Zosuke, don’t you?” Lord Hiashi looked serious, but at the same time, he was speaking as though he was genuinely concerned. I looked at Shogumo-sensei and tilted my head to the side. Hiro, Hikari, and myself may have been fifteen years old by now, but the special circumstances surrounding us still hadn’t been disclosed to us. Shogumo-sensei nodded towards Lord Hiashi. “Perhaps it’s time they knew the truth...” Lord Hiashi sighed briefly. “First, I have to explain about the Chuunin Exams several weeks ago.”

 

 “Oh, yeah, you and Hanabi were watching the finals, right?”

 

 “Yes, we were, and we helped defend some of the civilians that were also there. After Neji and Naruto had their match, I spoke with Neji about what happened to Hizashi. Naruto had beaten Neji, even though Neji was far superior in skill, and Neji started taking on a different view about our clan. Neji cried for a little while after I told him that Hizashi volunteered to take my place after the Hidden Cloud incident.” That was news to us, and we all went wide-eyed, except for my dad and Shogumo-sensei. Neji was such a prideful guy, but even we looked up to him in a way.

 

 “Lord Hiashi and I have agreed that the time has come for you to know the truth, Zosuke, Hikari. Hikari, you and Hiro were given a special privilege in the Hyuuga clan because of a certain incident.”

 

 “Hikari, Hiro, have you both noticed how some of your cousins in the branch family have been trying to protect you more than they should?” Both Hikari and Hiro nodded in response, and Hiashi let out another sigh. “That’s because when you were both very young, you both came down with a very strange illness that we still have not been able to identify. I consulted with the clan elders, and we agreed to an extreme measure; you both have the Shiranami clan’s special sealing jutsu formula branded into your necks.” My jaw dropped and damn near hit the bar. “Because of the specific nature of the Dragon’s Blood Seal, we were unable to brand you with the branch family’s mark, and you are now considered members of the main family.” Hikari and Hiro sported dumbfounded looks on their faces; they couldn’t understand anything that they were just told, but there was more. It took another hour before Lord Hiashi finished explaining the entirety of the situation, and even I couldn’t understand any of it.

 

 “You mean you had to pay a certain price for branding them?!” My voice rose in shock, but something told me I wasn’t going to get a straight answer. “What could possibly be a suitable price for such an extreme incident?!” I ran from Ichiraku, and garnered an angry shout from Teuchi, but Shogumo-sensei paid my tab in full. I just kept running and running, refusing to believe what I’d heard. Nothing was worth putting our sealing jutsu on someone that wasn’t a part of our clan; it was torture just for us Shiranami to bear the mark as a clan. That seal was meant for our combat power, and breaking the seal resulted in a ninety-nine-point-nine-nine percent mortality rate. Who in their right minds would put that on someone else?

 

  Eventually, I came upon the river that ran through the village again, and I sat down on a bench, tears running down my face. I still hadn’t been able to understand Hikari and Hiro being branded with our “seal of doom.” I was so confused and distraught, I didn’t notice my big sister patting me on the shoulder or rubbing the top of my head for over ten minutes. When I finally did notice, I felt worse than before. “How could Dad do something like that…?!” She must have known from the beginning; after all, she was born almost eight years before I was, so something like that would be something she’d never forget.

 

 “Because the Hyuuga and the Shiranami have a history.” My big sister’s voice was so comforting and soothing that I couldn’t stop crying. “When Madara Uchiha denied us protection when we came to the Leaf, it was the Hyuuga clan that gave us escort and safe passage. They fended off bandits and raiders while we slept and discussed our plans of action.” She held me close and let my cry into her shoulder. When I finally stopped crying, it was after midnight, and I was exhausted; I no longer just resented my dad for trying to limit my options as a Shiranami – I hated him for putting such a burden on my best friends. “Zosuke, let’s go home. It’s late, and you need your rest for your mission tomorrow.”

 

 “Machina, I have some business to attend to at the Hokage mansion.” Gramps Kategoro turned and walked away after my big sister nodded in response. “Good luck on your mission, Zosuke.”

  Machina helped me to my feet, and I felt my sandals try to give way under my weight on the smooth sand. But I managed to stay on my feet and began walking to the west, heading for our compound near the outskirts of the village. Luckily, our forge was located near the western gate, which made weapon delivery to our clients outside of the village a lot easier.

 

  Just as I got to the main gate to the compound, I saw my dad with someone behind him, and to my surprise, his hands were bound behind his back. “Dad!”

 

 “Run, Zosuke!” As my dad finished yelling at me to run, there was a dark red spray from his neck. It was the first move of a deadly game of shogi, and I was just one of the pawns that hadn’t been caught.


	2. Patrol Mission

 

 

 

_The blood sprayed from my dad’s throat, and I watched as his limbs separated from his chest and torso. It was so horrible; I hated him, but I hadn’t wanted him dead. Something kept my eyes from tearing up in guilt and horror; if I had to put a name to it, I’d have called it determination. I took one step and heard screams of terror erupting from some of the houses near the front of the compound; I looked down and saw that I had stepped on a ninja thread, and I instantly knew that I had just killed at least five other members of my family. I still couldn’t bring tears to my eyes, and I screamed in rage._

_“Ha ha ha hah!!!!” That maniacal laughter sent chills down my spine. “This is just glorious!!” The man that had killed my dad took a step closer and emerged from the shadow of the forge; I took note of his hair color, but what surprised me was his eyes – they glowed a dark red, eerily similar to the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. “Now it’s time that the show begins!!!” He jerked his left hand upwards, and more screams erupted from the compound. That’s when I realized the entire compound was intricately laced with the wire._

_I ran into the compound after the screams abruptly stopped; in my mind, I knew that everyone that had been here was dead, but I still wasn’t prepared to see the bodies and the grotesque wounds this man had inflicted. I gagged when I saw the youngest children of my clan in the courtyard in front of the Shiranami mansion, and I couldn’t stop myself from vomiting; they had all been dismembered the same way as my dad. Why anyone would kill such young children was beyond my comprehension, and I busted down the main door to the mansion as Machina tried to stop me; I heard her footsteps trail off in the opposite direction as I entered the main hall. But that’s when I fell for the trap he’d laid._

_Threads and wires wrapped around every one of my limbs and began digging into my skin; the pain caused me to shriek in agony, and the man stepped out of the shadows again. He had such a disgusting smile on his face, as though he were enjoying the slaughter; he slowly raised his left hand, and the threads dug deeper, eventually cutting into my muscles. But he abruptly let go, just as the threads began to approach my arteries and major veins; Machina had returned with Leaf police ninja. Shuriken cut the threads loose, and I fell to the floor, blood flowing freely from my arms and legs and neck. “Zosuke!” Machina cradled me, and I lost consciousness._

 

  I woke up, a cold sweat over my chest and back. I took note of my surroundings; I was in a forest, around a camp fire, and Shogumo-sensei was stoking the flames to keep them burning. I looked to my right, and I noticed Hikari looking at me with worry. That’s when I realized I was panting heavily; I’d had _that_ dream again. I looked to my left and saw Hiro sleeping soundly.

 

 “That dream again, Zosuke?” Shogumo-sensei hadn’t turned his head, but he knew that I’d woken up from that nightmare.

 “Yeah…” I looked at Hikari again and put a guilty smile on my face for her sake. “I’m sorry I worried you…” Hikari smiled a little and laid her head back down.

 

 “It’s okay, Zosuke…” She closed her beautiful eyes and soon fell back asleep. Over the last three years, Hikari and I had grown closer, even though we still didn’t know what the price was for the Seal being placed on her and Hiro. She was still a quiet girl, but she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

 

 “Zosuke, come over here.” I got up and walked over to the campfire, picking up a bottle of water to rehydrate myself. My lean muscles ached with the memory of the pain from the night that my clan was wiped out. “Something’s going to happen soon, isn’t it?” I nodded, and Shogumo-sensei sighed. “It seems like every time something is about to go wrong you have that dream. It’s like a premonition of some sort.”

 

 “I’m sorry, sensei. I’ll try not to let it interfere with the mission.” Shogumo-sensei shook his head.

 

 “I’m not worried about the mission. When you screamed in pain in your sleep, Hikari instinctively woke up and moved her sleeping bag closer to you so she could try to bring you comfort.” I gave a small chuckle but otherwise stayed quiet. “She cares about you, you know.”

 

 “Yeah, I know… That night that my dad died, did he tell you anything about the Shiranami debt to the Hyuuga?” Shogumo nodded, but he didn’t answer out loud. “So he told you about the price for putting the Dragon’s Blood Seal on someone who’s not part of the Shiranami clan…”

 

 “He did. I assume you’ve done your own research since that night.” I nodded and watched the fire. I put an iron ingot into the flames and watched it heat up and begin to glow red-hot. “You know there will be a special Chuunin Exam for your class, right?” Again, I nodded, and I took the ingot out of the fire when I noticed it begin to flake. “You and Hiro are the only ones in our team that haven’t made Chuunin, so I’ve put you guys forward again.”

 

  My tanktop shirt was already soaked from my nightmare, but I still started sweating again when I handled the white-hot iron. I set the ingot on my bare calves and performed the rat, ram, and snake seals in three different combinations. “Folding Steel Jutsu.”

 

 “I think we have two weeks before we have to return to the village for the special Exams.” Shogumo watched me use my bare hands to work hot carbon coal into the iron ingot and fashion a tanto blade. “Do you think you and Hiro are ready to try to make Chuunin again?” I nodded as he used his Water-Style to cool the blade I’d created.

 

 “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Machina’s a candidate for the ANBU now, and I need to make Chuunin sooner or later.” I sighed as I noticed a major flaw in the blade and set it in the dirt; I formed the ox, bird, and dog seals in two different combinations. “Earthen Box Jutsu.” I took the dirt box and set it aside. “Besides, Lady Tsunade gave us a life-long mission, remember? It’ll be better if we make it to Chuunin.”

 

 “Yep, that’s true. But, Lady Tsunade didn’t give us that mission just for you to turn out like Sasuke Uchiha did.” The words stung, but I understood the meaning behind them; three years ago, Sasuke Uchiha deserted the Leaf in pursuit of power. I wasn’t going to be like him, pursuing power for the purpose of revenge. I had my own path to follow; I was going to restore the Shiranami and continue the traditions of blacksmithing. “Every mission we go on seems to give us a tiny glimpse of that white-haired man that killed your family.” We both sighed, and I looked up at the night sky; it was just after midnight.

 

 “Why is it that Hikari’s always so quiet…?” I didn’t mean for that thought to escape my lips, but it had, and I nearly fumbled it. Shogumo looked at me and chuckled. “She’s not timid, nor is she shy.”

 

 “She’s quiet because of the illness.” Shogumo kept his gaze on the fire, keeping it lit, but keeping it under control. “Whatever the illness was, it affected her in such a way that she has difficulty speaking.” There was a rustling in the trees nearby; there wasn’t any wind, so it had to be either another ninja or an animal. “Don’t wake Hikari or Hiro.”

 

  Both Shogumo and I got to our feet silently, but Hikari still followed us. Her instincts must have been insanely tuned to keeping my idiotic ass out of trouble; she was just as silent as we were as we set up an ambush for whatever it was that approached. But, something odd happened just a few moments later; it was a lone wanderer, eyes covered by a Leaf headband. He had a walking stick with him, but he seemed to know exactly where we were, even though we were hiding our presence. “You can come down now.” He didn’t sound much older than myself, but something was odd about him. “I can see you up in the trees.” He turned his head directly at me, and I froze.

 

 “How can you see us?” Shogumo was taking a necessary precaution. “Looks to me that you’re blind.”

 

 “In one sense, I am blind. But I can see the world in a different sight than you do.” The man had a smirk on his face as he looked in Shogumo-sensei’s direction. “I’ve been tracking you for three days now under orders from Lady Tsunade.”

 

 “Alright, then. ‘The third stone was thrown how far?’”

 

 “‘Five yards.’” The three of us jumped down silently into the small clearing. Hiro was stirring, but he was still fast asleep. “This is for you, Shogumo.” The blind man held a scroll out to Shogumo-sensei, and when he took the scroll, the blind man turned away and began walking back in the direction he came from. “Be careful around Danzo. He’ll stop at nothing to catch you.” Something about what the man said as he walked away; the way he said “stop at nothing” made me feel uneasy.

 “Shogumo-sensei, who is Danzo?” We turned to head back to the camp, and Shogumo-sensei seemed to be lost in thought. He unsealed the scroll and read the message meant for his eyes only.

 

 “Danzo is a mysterious character, Zosuke. He’s one of the village elders, but he’s also in charge of a specific sect of ANBU operatives, known as the Foundation.” Shogumo-sensei’s voice was low and serious, but quiet enough that he didn’t wake Hiro. “Just the fact that Danzo was even mentioned means that he knows about our team.”

 

 “That’s not good…” Hikari looked a little worried, but she quickly covered it back up and laid down in her sleeping bag. Shogumo sighed quietly in agreement; something told me I was the only one who didn’t know all the details.

 

 “Zosuke, can you, Hikari, and Hiro complete the mission without me? I’ve been summoned to the Hokage mansion for an emergency meeting regarding our squad.” I nodded in Shogumo-sensei’s direction, and he silently took to the trees.

 

 “Zosuke, sleep…” Hikari was pointing to my sleeping bag, but I quietly shook my head. “Bad dreams…” She was right; every time I had that nightmare, I never was able to sleep again that same night. The only thing that kept me from passing out further down the line would be if I practiced my clan’s special ninjutsu again; it helped me focus my energy and keep me alert.

 

  I took out another iron ingot and some more coal and put them in the fire. I performed the seals in the same combinations as I had earlier. “Folding Steel Jutsu.” I mixed the coal into the iron, turning the chemical makeup into steel, and I began to work the metal slowly; I realized earlier that I’d worked the metal too quickly again in an attempt to calm myself. This time, I worked it slowly enough that I was able to recognize the small imperfections and correct them as the ingot changed into a katana over time. By the time I finished, the sun was rising; it’d been six whole hours since I’d started this new weapon, and I felt tired again. I took an energy pill from my pack and bit down on it; the taste was horrible, but at least I wouldn’t pass out from sleep deprivation.

 

  After Hikari woke up, we started cleaning up the camp; Hiro was still asleep, but a quick splash of water woke him up quickly enough for us to get back to the mission. We began heading east, towards the rendezvous point; we were to meet up with another squad and patrol the border in case the criminal organization known as the Akatsuki decided to show their faces in the Land of Fire again. The rendezvous point was another ten miles away when I noticed we were being followed. “Hold up, guys.”

 

  We all stopped on one of the larger branches in the forest, and I instinctively pulled the freshly-made katana from its scabbard. Hiro and Hikari both used their Byakugan and nodded. “Blind man…” Hikari sounded a little surprised, but there was nothing we could do about it; we sheathed our weapons and continued on with the mission.

 

 “Who’s following us?” Hiro sounded curious.

 

 “He delivered a message from Lady Hokage last night. You were still passed out.” I planted my foot on a branch so hard that it broke and I nearly lost my balance.

 

 “Suspicious… But nice…” I looked at Hikari with a puzzled expression, and she smiled happily in response. “Blind man is nice…”

 

  Ever since the night my clan was wiped out, Hikari kept to shorter sentences than she used to. As a result, Hiro and I learned very quickly to read her body language to understand her meaning; in this instance, she seemed to have quickly read the blind man’s personality, and she seemed to think he wasn’t a bad guy.

 

 “What about Shogumo-sensei?”

 

 “The scroll was a summons to the mansion.”

 

 “Oh, okay.” We continued on for another hour before we came within view of the rendezvous. “There it is. Who are we meeting up with?”

 

 “Team 31.” I smiled, knowing my sister’s team was going to help us with our patrol mission. “I forgot that she was in charge of her own team now.” As we got closer to the clearing, I recognized my sister’s navy blue hair almost immediately; as we entered the clearing, Machina turned in our direction.

 

 “You’re early!” She waved us over and turned to the rest of her team. “We weren’t expecting you for another two hours.” I looked at the young genin under my sister’s charge; two girls and one boy. “These little ones just graduated from the academy not too long ago.”

 

 “H-hi!” The smallest of the three, who didn’t look much older than ten, had a cute little voice. She stood maybe four feet tall, and she had the crest of a clan I didn’t recognize. When I looked over the other two, I realized that they must have been siblings; they all had the same clan’s crest, though they dressed a little differently from each other. “I’m Shirona!”

 

 “I’m Jirojin.”

 

 “I’m Girana.” The three of them looked so nervous to see my squad, but Hiro had a huge grin on his face.

 

 “My name is Hiro, and these two are my sister Hikari and my best friend Zosuke.” His confidence helped to ease the kids’ nerves.

 

 “You’re a Hyuuga!” Shirona looked awestruck, but she also shook like a little leaf.

 

 “Okay, we’re going to divide into two groups, guys.” Machina gave each one of her students a pat on the head. “You three are going with Hiro, okay?” All three of the kids nodded. “He’s a good guy once you get past his cocky attitude.” All of us laughed as Hiro put on a grimace, but he soon started laughing as well.

 

 “Machina-sensei, what about you?” Jirojin had to be the oldest; he stood around four feet, six inches tall and was probably twelve at the time.

 

 “I have to keep an eye on Zosuke, Jiro. He’s my little brother after all.” I pouted, but I chuckled after the three kids started to laugh. We spent the next hour discussing our patrol routes, and when we finally decided on where our squads would meet back up, we dispersed; Hiro, Jirojin, Shirona, and Girana all went south, while Hikari, Machina, and I all went north.

 

 “Hey, sis?”

 

 “Hm?”

 

 “Are you going to the special Chuunin Exams?” Machina seemed to go into deep thought for a moment before she replied.

 

 “Yeah, I guess I’ll be there with the kids. Speaking of which, do you think Hiro would be a good squad leader?”

 

 “He’s great with kids…” Hikari smiled as we neared the first checkpoint. “Blind man is coming…”

 

 “‘Blind man’?” Machina was puzzled.

 

 “An ANBU under orders from Lady Hokage delivered a summons to Shogumo-sensei. This guy’s been following us ever since he delivered the scroll.” I looked behind us and couldn’t mistake that black cloak. “Any idea who he is?”

 

 “That’s classified information, but I know who you’re talking about. He’s a good guy, but he’s strange.” We passed the first checkpoint, and we saw no sign of intruders. However, if we were to have any trouble, Hiro and I had a secret signal we’d fire into the air using our respective chakras. If either one of us saw that signal, we’d know something was up.

 

  That day was a long one. Not a single incident for either my team nor for Machina’s came up, and we all headed back to the village together. The only thing that kept bugging me was the fact that that ANBU from the night before had kept following us without any sign of letting up. He had said he sees the world in a different sight than we do, but I couldn’t think of any possibility of him being able to see past that headband around his eyes.

 

  That night, the blind ANBU stayed just outside of Hikari’s Byakugan range; he was smart. When Jirojin and his sisters were asleep, I took out another iron ingot and another two lumps of coal out of my pack; I’d brought ten ingots and twenty lumps of coal when we first set out, but I was down to two ingots and four lumps of coal, not counting the ones I had in my hands. I put them into the campfire and formed the ritual of my clan’s jutsu. “Folding Steel Jutsu.”

 

 “So, you’ve been keeping up with your blacksmithing?” Machina certainly looked puzzled, but I was secretly glad she was sitting right next to me. I nodded and began working the carbon into the iron as it glowed red-hot. “Seems like you’re getting better.”

 

 “The katana I wore today took me six hours last to make last night.” I kept my eyes on the glowing metal in front of me.

 

 “You certainly are getting better. If you’re a ninja, why keep up with blacksmithing?”

 

 “I hated Dad, but I didn’t want to lose our history. I’ve kept up with my practice to make sure I don’t lose sight of what we are. Before we were ninja, we were blacksmiths.”

 

 “How’s your special jutsu coming along?”

 

 “About ten-percent perfected right now.” I had secretly been developing my own jutsu using my clan’s Kekkei Genkai; instead of having to use a forge, I was trying to do it all at once without the need for something I couldn’t carry with me. “So far, I can only craft three shuriken and ten senbon needles.”

 

 “At least it’s coming along nicely.” Machina smiled and lifted her head to look at the stars. “I think you secretly loved our dad, even though he placed such a burden on those two.” My hands stopped in place, and for the first time in a long time, I felt tears running down my cheeks. “You always did work so hard to impress him.”

 

 “Yeah…” I didn’t sob or attempt to wipe away the tears; I just let them run their course, and when I was finished, I had a finely tuned tanto, much better than the one I screwed up the night before.

 

 “I’ve been working on my own jutsu as well.” Machina finally lowered her head and took a shuriken from her pack. “Watch this, little brother.” She hurled the shuriken at a tree, and the small metal star quietly implanted itself between two pieces of bark. I watched her hands carefully as she performed seven seals; rat, snake, horse, rabbit, dog, bird, monkey. “Magnetize.” The shuriken dislodged itself from the tree and returned to Machina’s hand, and I looked at her with sad curiosity. “It’s called Electromagnetism. You know how there’s a Kekkei Genkai in the Hidden Sand called Magnet-Style, right?” I nodded. “This isn’t anywhere near as powerful, but it’s useful for pulling shuriken back to you without using ninja thread. It’s maybe eighty-percent perfected, and I don’t have the skill with the lightning nature to stop more than twenty shuriken-sized weapons.”

 

  It was after midnight at this point, and I was starting to drift off to sleep just sitting there. I hugged Machina and went to my sleeping bag, which was just a few feet from Hikari’s. It’d been a long day, and the energy pills I’d taken kept me awake long enough to get through the mission. The only thing I wished for was a peaceful sleep that night; I didn’t want to relive that nightmare a second night in a row. After just a few minutes, my tired mind drifted off, and I fell asleep.


	3. Tea Time

  Finally, after we reached the village after our latest mission, Hikari, Hiro, Shogumo-sensei and I all went to Ichiraku, and I once again got an earful from Teuchi about what happened three years ago. It’d been just over a week since our patrol mission, and since then, I’d noticed that the blind ANBU had stopped keeping track of our squad. From what I was told, Danzo had also been tracking us but was unable to interfere with our comings and goings thanks to our ANBU friend.

 

 “Zosuke, slow down…” Hikari was still trying to make sure I didn’t eat too quickly. She sighed when I paid the order no mind and went back to her bowl.

 

 “Three days until the Chuunin Exams, huh?” Teuchi was just being told by Shogumo-sensei about the special circumstances regarding the upcoming Exams. “Seems like only yesterday we had the last Chuunin Exams. Speaking of which, you remember that Naruto, right?”

 

 “Yeah, I do.” Shogumo was simply drinking herbal tea, and the sweet aroma filled the ramen shop, almost overpowering the salty smell of the ramen itself. “He just got back from a mission to the Hidden Sand, right?”

 

 “Yeah. I heard he rescued the Kazekage from the Akatsuki.” I heard it was quite a tale; just a few days ago, he was talking about how that Sand Jinchuriki boy Gaara was the new Kazekage.”

 

 “Oh, that boy who turned into that giant tanuki?”

 

 “Apparently, after his fight with Naruto, he started to see the world differently.” The voice that came from behind us was none other than that of Iruka-sensei. “Naruto definitely has a way of changing people.”

 

 “That he does! What’ll ya have, Iruka?” Ayame had a big smile on her face as she grabbed her little notebook.

 

 “Just a bowl of the usual, please.” Iruka-sensei sat down next to Shogumo-sensei and paid for his meal in advance. “Naruto has really grown, hasn’t he? He spent three years training with Master Jiraiya and then he goes and rescues Gaara from the Akatsuki.”

 

 “The way he lives sounds nothing like what the rumors used to say, even if he does have the Nine-Tails inside him.” Shogumo-sensei took another sip. “I’ll be willing to put money down that he’s going to make his dream come true one day.”

 

 “Well, that’s one way to put it.” The new voice made Hikari and Hiro grin and turn around.

 “Neji!” Hiro was ecstatic, but Hikari being Hikari, she simply smiled and bowed to the new arrival. “You were with Naruto on his last mission, right?! Who’d you guys fight?”

 

 “Team Guy didn’t really fight anyone; we fought traps set by the Akatsuki.” Rock Lee and Tenten followed suit and sat at the table on the left side of the ramen shop. Tenten was the one who’d spoken. “Hey, Zosuke, do you have any new weapons for sale?”

 

 “Huh? Oh, yeah, I do.” I removed the small tanto I’d crafted during my patrol mission from my waist. “Took two or three hours to make it, but I don’t really need it; it’s free.” Tenten eyed me suspiciously, but she pointed to the katana I had on my back. I raised my eyebrow slyly. “That’s not for sale.”

 

 “Awww. You’re no fun.” Tenten pouted and we all laughed. After our meals were finished, I paid Teuchi to settle my tab, and I started to walk towards my home. It was getting dark; the sun had already set, and twilight had come.

 

  After the Shiranami Massacre, I was given special housing closer to the river by Lady Tsunade. It was a rather short walk to the old-fashioned apartment; just a few blocks from Ichiraku. The door was simple wood, and the awning over the porch was decorated in leaf patterns engraved into the wood. The windows were divided into four pains by wood, and they were plainly decorated in mahogany paint. The entryway was simple, just a short hallway that lead into the main room. I took my sandals off and walked into the main room. Like everything else, it was rather simple, walls painted white and cream-colored tiles on the floor. The only thing that would seem out of place for any other apartment was the fact that I had a forge in the back, though I usually just used it as a fireplace during the cold winters. Underneath the windows on the east wall, I had a simple square table with three chairs seated just out from underneath it. The refrigerator was along the northern wall, and the stove was just to its right; the sink was on the left.

 

 “I’m home.” I smiled at the family photo on the dresser on the south wall. That particular photo was taken just before I rebelled and enrolled in the ninja academy; my mom and dad were behind my sister and me. We’d been to the forest that day, and it was a fun retreat from the usual routine of forging weapons for clients. A small knock at the door brought me back to my senses. “It’s open!” The door opened, and Hikari walked in and quickly closed the door behind her. “What’s up?”

 

 “Finally escaped Hiro…” She glanced at the window wondering if he’d followed her. “I need a break…”

 

 “From what?” I half-chuckled as she sat down in the recliner on the left side of the living room. I brewed some herbal tea for us as she sighed.

 

 “Everything… Need a break…” I handed her one of the cups of tea and sat down on the small futon I used for a couch. “Nice apartment…”

 

 “Thanks. Lady Tsunade set it aside for me after that night three years ago. For all intents and purposes, the Shiranami compound is condemned, but not scheduled for demolition for another five years or so.” We sat in quiet for a few minutes as we drank our tea, but a sudden knock at the door got my attention; Hikari nodded and kept an eye out just in case something were to happen. I opened the door, and I was surprised to see Lord Hiashi. “Lord Hiashi, please, come in.”

 

 “Thank you, Zosuke.” Lord Hiashi took a few solemn steps into my humble home, removing his sandals as he entered the short hallway that led to the main room.

 

 “Would you like some tea?” I started walking to the small kitchen.

 

 “That would be nice, thank you.” He sat down in the recliner that on the right side of the room.

 

 “Tea is good…” Hikari smiled at her “uncle” and continued sipping on the cup I’d brewed just a little while ago. “Refreshing…” After a few minutes, the tea was ready, and I brought a cup to my new guest.

 

 “Thank you, Zosuke.” Hiashi took a sip and savored the flavor, but he didn’t show any emotion regarding the taste. But after a short sigh, he looked me in the eye. “You traveled for two and a half years, correct?” I nodded. “While you were traveling and learning new blacksmithing techniques, Hikari’s illness worsened. Although, I’m not sure it can actually be called an illness.”

 

 “What do you mean?” Hiashi noted my confused expression, but it was Hikari herself that spoke.

 

 “Curse ninjutsu…” Hikari had her head down, and it looked like she was staring into her cup.

 

 “No illness on record has the ability to make it almost physically impossible to speak for more than a few weeks; pneumonia and bronchitis usually clear up within a few weeks, but her condition is much worse, Zosuke.” Hiashi paused for a moment to let me process the information. “The night your father branded Hikari and Hiro with the Dragon’s Blood Seal, we heard rumors that there’d been a man with white hair and red eyes lurking around the Hyuuga mansion.” We sat in silence, enjoying the flavors and aromas of the tea for half an hour before it clicked in my mind.

 

  It made sense, finally; whoever had attacked me was trying to erase any proof that the Shiranami ever existed. But before I could say anything, Hiashi let out a small cough and motioned for more tea; I refilled his cup and brewed more tea for the three of us before I sat back down. The moment I placed my hand on my futon so I could sit down, I got a small idea; I politely excused myself for just a few moments and went into my room. I had a large bed on the west wall, but in the northwest corner of the room, I had a trunk filled with little tidbits from my travels. I walked over to the trunk and opened it up, finding what I was looking for almost immediately. I came back into the main room of my apartment with what looked like a low table; the item I was carrying was ordained with a grid on the top with a drawer on the right side. I took note of Hiashi’s somewhat skeptical expression, but another knock at the door took over my attention. I set the small table down and walked down the entryway, taking care to remain presentable when I got to the door. To my surprise it was my grandfather, Kategoro. “Gramps! I wasn’t expecting you to pay a visit today, please come in.”

 

 “Thank you, Zosuke.” My grandfather came inside and took his sandals off before heading into the main room of my apartment; he must have noticed I brought that old thing out, because he chuckled a little bit. “So, you finally decided to bring that old thing out of storage.”

 

 “Master Kategoro.” Hiashi was smiling a little bit as he addressed my grandfather. “I think it’s time we finished our last match.”

 

 “I concur.” My grandfather sat down on one side of the small table and opened the drawer, taking out the pieces as Hiashi sat across from him. “Have you told Zosuke?” He was still setting up the pieces when Hiashi replied.

 

 “About the curse ninjutu? Yes, he is aware.” Hiashi closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm the excitement that seemed to have been building. “I think a good match of shogi will help us relax before we discuss the Chuunin Exams.”

 

 “Agreed.” The pieces were set, and Hiashi made the first move; each consecutive move was taken slowly at first. Two moves in, my grandfather had captured a pawn, and Hiashi was attempting to capture my grandfather’s knight. “Even if the curse continues its progress, the only way Hikari will be truly cured will be to remove the Shiranami’s Seal.” My grandfather captured another pawn with his knight, and his knight then promoted.

 

 “I see. So we will have to resort to risking her life.” Hiashi captured the promoted knight and placed it back on the board on his side. “Is there any record of surviving the removal by a non-Shiranami?”

 

  My grandfather moved his bishop into a strategic position. “Check.” Hiashi’s next several moves captured the bishop and several more of my grandfather’s pawns. “There were a few, though that was out of countless attempts throughout our history; we assume the odds of Hikari’s survival if we remove the Seal to be one in ten thousand.” Hiashi’s rook closed in on my grandfather’s king.

 

 “When the time comes, will there be any way we can increase those odds?” Hiashi’s pieces began falling one by one each move; there was a very tense aura emanating from both Lord Hiashi and my grandfather. However, in response to Hiashi’s question, my grandfather simply shook his head.

 

 “Even among my family, there was only ever one successful attempt at surviving the removal by an outsider; my great-grandmother who originated from a forgotten clan that is probably nonexistent now. There are no records detailing her survival or any circumstances surrounding the events that occurred.” Hiashi placed his silver with a loud click, signaling the end of the match.

 

 “Checkmate.” My grandfather closed his eyes and nodded in defeat; the match only lasted ten minutes, but it seemed to take hours as they concentrated. By now, the crescent moon was high in the night sky, signifying the late hour. Hiashi and my grandfather bowed to each other and helped to pick up the shogi pieces. “I would rather not subject Hikari to such a difficult ritual; however, I cannot sit idly by while she succumbs to her condition.”

 

 “I’m okay, Uncle…” Hikari finally spoke, though it was quiet, almost a whisper. “If that’s what it takes…” She began a coughing fit that lasted only a couple of minutes, but that alone worried me and Lord Hiashi. “I’ll do anything… to get my voice back…” Her determination surprised me; as she spoke, I could see the pain she was putting herself through as though it were painted in a mural. Something about that determination struck me as odd; why would she be putting herself through that pain if she knew it would restrict her voice even more later on? Fortunately, it was my grandfather that answered my unspoken question.

 

 “Hikari, my dear. You care for Zosuke, do you not?” Hikari simply nodded. “Tell me, then, why you would go to such lengths to overcome these astronomical odds.” Hikari flushed red for just a fraction of a second, but she quickly regained her composure and looked like a natural-born member of the main Hyuuga family.

 

 “Because he is more important to me… than my own life…” I suddenly felt my cheeks warm up, and I quickly took a drink of cold tea to cool myself down. I didn’t know why I felt so embarrassed about that, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I cared about her in the exact same way; although that could be said about Hiro as well. I looked at my grandfather, and then at Lord Hiashi; they were both smiling in what seemed like approval.

 

  My grandfather stood and picked up the shogi board. “Zosuke, I will need to speak with you in the coming days. But first, I want to wish you luck in the Chuunin Exams.” I smiled and bowed to my grandfather.

 

 “Thanks, Gramps. I’ll do my best.” With that, my grandfather opened the door to my apartment, walked through it, and closed it behind himself and went back to Machina’s. I spent some time in my own mind as I brewed a little bit more tea for my guests; I had always had a hard time understanding people, but this was a situation I understood perfectly. Not that I had the nerve to say or do anything about it anyway; I poured one last cup of tea for my guests.

 

 “Zosuke.” Lord Hiashi’s eyes were closed after he took the last sip of his tea.

 

 “Yes, Lord Hiashi?”

 “I’m going to leave Hikari’s wellbeing in your hands once again.” I noticed the veins in Lord Hiashi’s temples beginning to bulge a little; a clear sign he was using his Byakugan. “Kategoro has notified me that you are to inherit the Shiranami mansion soon and become the new head of your clan. Should anything befall Hikari, I cannot guarantee our alliance will last very long.”

 

 “I understand, Lord Hiashi.”

 

 “Too strict, Uncle…” Hikari chimed in quietly. “Zosuke will protect me… Even at the highest cost…” She smiled and tilted her head back a bit as she closed her eyes; she seemed to be falling asleep.

 

 “I must return to the Hyuuga mansion. Hinata and Hanabi wished to have a few words with me after dinner, and I must not keep them waiting.” Hiashi and I stood, and we bowed to each other. Just as he reached the door, he turned back and smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality, Zosuke.” He walked out the door and headed home.

 

  After twenty minutes, Hikari stirred slightly; I gave her a soft poke on the arm to wake her up. “Come on, sleepy. You’re using my bed tonight.” She looked at me curiously. “I’ll sleep on my futon.” With a smile, Hikari sat up and leaned on me as we walked to my bedroom; she laid in my bed and quickly fell back asleep, and I returned to the main room of my apartment. _Just what am I thinking?_ I didn’t think I’d sleep very well that night, and I wasn’t wrong; I tried three times to get a good night’s sleep, but I kept having _that_ dream. I spent most of the night at my forge, just watching the liquid metal and the flames underneath, trying to clear my head. _Something’s going to happen very soon… Something very, very bad…_


	4. Murder Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team 19 and Team 31 join forces to conduct an investigation into the murder of one of the Shiranami Clan's most trusted clients.

 

  Hikari woke up early the next morning; she slept very soundly, and not even my screams when I tried to sleep woke her up – at least that I knew of. That wasn’t exactly a bad thing; one of my neighbors asked what had happened at around two o’clock in the morning. Needless to say, I couldn’t sleep much at all. The forge had only been simmering as I watched it, and I didn’t feel in the mood to forge anything overnight.

 

  However, it was still rather early when Shogumo-sensei stopped by. “We have an urgent mission.” His voice was just barely audible, not much more than a whisper. “There’s been a murder in a town nearby.” I nodded as Shogumo-sensei started turning to go back to the Hokage mansion.

 

 “Mission…” Hikari was still sleepy, but she understood what Shogumo-sensei had said. “Too early…” She yawned and sat at the small table in the main room of my apartment as I cooked breakfast. “Bad dreams…?”

 

 “Yeah.. Same one three times last night..” I didn’t want to ruin breakfast over what had happened last night, so I stayed quiet for a while as I cooked the sausages and eggs. But Hikari spoke again after just a few minutes of my silence.

 

 “Won’t be in the Exams…” I turned around for a moment and saw Hikari looking intently at the table. “Already a Chuunin…” Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper.

 

 “That’s because you’re more skilled than myself or Hiro.” I turned back to the stove and took the eggs off the heat; the sausages were almost done. “We look up to you, Hikari.” I took the sausages off the heat and put some bread in the toaster.

 

 “Why me…?” She sounded confused.

 

  Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door. “It’s open!” The door opened and closed; I was still working on getting butter on the toast and some apple juice out of the fridge as a chair was pulled from under the table.

 

 “Yo, Zosuke.” It was Hiro; it was a rare event, but when he did come over for breakfast, he always showed up after I had already cooked my own breakfast. “Shogumo-sensei stopped by here, too, huh?”

 

 “Yeah. Looks like we’re going to be investigating a murder.” I put two more eggs in the small pan and turned on the heat. “Sounds important if it’s an urgent mission.”

 

 “B-rank, minimum.” Hiro sounded tired; he’d probably searched high and low for Hikari last night before Hiashi had left. “I wonder who the victim was. Some sort of dignitary or ambassador?”

 

 “No idea.” Finally, after a few minutes of silence, the meal was prepared, and I brought the three plates to the table. “Eat up; we need our energy for the mission.”

 

 “Energy pills, Zosuke…” Hikari glanced at me and had a look only my big sister would give me when I was in trouble. That look meant that she’d woken up a couple of times last night because of my screaming.

 

 “I-I’ll have a couple later, Hikari.” I scratched the back of my head nervously as Hiro shot me a confused look. “I didn’t sleep well.”

 

 “That nightmare again, huh?” Hiro took a few bites of toast and then a sip of apple juice. “You know, I’ve been thinking.” My eyebrow shot up, as did Hikari’s. “The Exams start the day after tomorrow, right?”

 

 “Yeah, why?”

 

 “I’ve been thinking it would be awesome if we got paired up to fight in the final round.” I chuckled; after all, we’d been working together for the last couple of years between my travels, and never once had we sparred, even though we were best friends. “I wonder if my Water-style Gentle Fist will match up to your Metal-style, Zosuke.”

 

 “You do realize that I specialize in Lightning-style, right?” Hikari giggled as I smirked confidently. “I’m able to use Fire and Earth-styles, seeing how the Metal-style is the fusion of all three. But the fact remains, I prefer using my Lightning-style.” Hiro chuckled.

 

 “I’ve been working on a new Water-style technique that’s sure to blow you away. Over the last few days, I’ve been hanging out over at the Shirosui compound training.” I was confused; I didn’t recognize the name of that place.

 

 “‘Shirosui compound?’”

 

 “Machina’s team!” Hiro sounded really excited. “Those kids that she’s in charge of!”

 

 “Oh. Wait, how’d you get over there without getting Hiashi’s approval?”

 

 “Snuck out…” Hikari was glaring at Hiro, who scratched his head nervously. “Can’t escape my eyes, Hiro…”

 

  The rest of the breakfast was spent in relative quiet; I had opened the windows to let a cool breeze blow through my apartment, so we listened to the sounds of the village and the birds. The forge that was in the back had fallen quiet after I’d put out the flames, and there wasn’t any real need for it to be heated today. Once we all finished breakfast, we headed to the Hokage mansion, wondering what kind of investigation we were going to conduct. When we got there, we were surprised to see Machina and her team standing with Shogumo-sensei at the front door.

 

 “Lady Tsunade is waiting for us.” Shogumo-sensei looked serious; I couldn’t help but think we’d been late, but considering he’d stopped by rather early, we couldn’t be blamed if we were. “This isn’t going to be a normal mission; it’s related to our long-term investigation.” Then it hit me; if it was related to the investigation behind my clan’s massacre, of course it would be serious.

 

  All eight of us walked into the mansion and took the stairs to the Hokage’s study. When we entered, we were greeted by not only Lady Tsunade and her assistant Shizune, but also my grandfather. “Shogumo, Machina, good morning.” My grandfather wore his formal attire, something he only did when something serious was happening.

 

 “Shogumo Hanataro.”

 

 “Yes, Lady Hokage?”

 

 “Your team is being assigned a special mission, and, as it involves sensitive matters regarding the Shiranami, I have assigned Team 31 to assist you.” Lady Tsunade had her hands folded in front of her face, looking almost as though she were conducting a business meeting to discuss sales or something. “We’ve received word that an important client to the Shiranami clan’s blacksmithing business has been killed by an assassin.” _So that’s why Gramps is all dressed up._ It made sense now.

 

 “Who was the victim?” I looked at my grandfather, who simply closed his eyes and sighed.

 

 “A man by the name of Goroshin. He was one of our most trusted and reliable clients from the Hidden Stone.”

 

 “Goroshin also supplied the Leaf with critical intel regarding matters of security. Beyond that, I cannot be obliged to say.” Lady Tsunade also closed her eyes in deep thought. “This is an A-rank mission; I don’t need to tell you how dangerous this will be, especially for the young genin.”

 

 “Lady Tsunade? Maybe we should only assign Machina to this mission, and not her entire team.” Shizune was probably trying to convince Lady Tsunade not to go through with letting three young, inexperienced genin take part of this mission.

 

 “I can’t let Machina go alone, and this will serve to assess her abilities. She is a candidate, after all.”

 

 “Lady Tsunade, if I may suggest something?” My grandfather had turned towards Tsunade. “Perhaps young Zosuke and Hiro could keep an eye on the Shirosui Siblings during the mission, while Shogumo, Hikari, and Machina do the heavy lifting?” Tsunade seemed to think it over for a moment and nodded.

 

 “That is acceptable, Kategoro. The rest of you are dismissed.” We all walked out of the room, and back down the stairs to the street in front of the mansion.

 

 “Awesome! We’re being teamed up with Mister Hiro again!” Shirona was rather excited to be teamed back up with us. I don’t know why, but it seemed like she’d taken a liking to Hiro. I looked at Jirojin and noted his expression; he was definitely annoyed by his little sister’s enthusiasm, but he was also very happy to see us again. Girana, on the other hand, was keeping what seemed like a set distance away from myself and Hikari; I couldn’t tell what she had going on in her head.

 

 “So, when do we head out?” Machina was off to the side, speaking with Shogumo-sensei.

 

 “Two hours from now; we’ll head out at midday. We’re going to need to collect forensic samples, the body of Mister Goroshin, and any evidence we can find.” Shogumo-sensei took a quick glance at me. “Zosuke will probably be bringing materials for forging.”

 

 “He does that for every mission?” Machina looked a little surprised as Shogumo-sensei nodded. When I took a glance at my big sister, I noticed she was looking at me with suspicion. “I guess his new jutsu is coming along rather well, then.”

 

 “The way he says it, even after just a week, he’s made remarkable progress. He’s able to make standard katanas now.” Shogumo-sensei laughed and turned towards the rest of us. Jirojin was in the middle of fussing with his youngest sister about her enthusiasm, and Girana was still staying a small distance away from us. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he can start making larger weapons by the start of the Exams.”

 

 “Alright, you three, we’re heading over to my brother’s place for a while!” I instantly spun and locked eyes with Machina; she looked like she was happy about it, and I couldn’t stop myself from glaring for a moment.

 

  Back at my apartment, I served lunch for everyone and sat in one of my recliners; Hikari sat in the unoccupied recliner sipping tea as I sighed. My grocery bill was going to be huge that week, but that was something I could worry about later. I felt my eyes slowly starting to close, probably because of the lack of sleep from the night before; Hikari noticed and spoke up.

 

 “Energy, Zosuke…” She had a firm tone, not unlike a mother scolding her child. But Machina looked over and saw that Hikari was holding out her hand; inside her palm, Hikari had placed an energy pill. I took the pill, following that up with a large sip of tea; I was still tired, but I didn’t feel like sleeping anymore. “Pack up… Get equipment…” She was right; I got up and walked over to the forge in the back. I turned on the heat and watched the iron heat up slowly over ten minutes until it was molten.

 

 “Hiro, come over here.” Hiro came over to the forge and began cooling the ingots I pulled out of the liquid metal with his Water-style; I didn’t have enough control to cool them on my own, even though I had years of experience with forging – not to mention I was only holding the shape by using Electromagnetism. We repeated the cooling process until I had a full pack of twenty ingots and forty lumps of coal. All in all, it took only about twenty minutes to get everything gathered; the only thing left was my traveling pack. All of the survival equipment I needed was in that pack.

 

 “Heavy lifting…” Hikari sighed and put a hand on her forehead. “Can’t carry all that…”

 

 “Don’t worry, sis, he’s the one that’s going to carry it.” Hiro pointed at me as the pack landed on the floor with a loud thud. “Besides, I don’t think anyone’s going to complain if he has to practice a bit during the mission.”

 

 “That’s only at night, Hiro…!” We all laughed at the retort and grabbed some water. “Alright, it’s time to go!”

 

  After about thirty minutes of walking, I looked at Shogumo-sensei. He seemed to be a bit more concerned than he usually was, so I decided to ask him for some more details about where we were going. “Sensei?”

 

 “Hm?” He seemed to still be in deep thought.

 

 “Where did the murder take place?”

 

 “Tanzaku Town.” A popular place to visit for both residents in the Land of Fire and tourists alike didn’t sound like the sort of place to murder someone. But then again, I’d heard rumors that certain resorts had black markets hidden around somewhere that dealt with things like that. So, there was still a chance that we’d have time to check those rumors out.

 

 “I haven’t been to Tanzaku in years; how far is it?”

 

 “If we pick up the pace, it should only be a few hours away.” We all started running, following Shogumo-sensei and Machina. We traveled for about an hour before we took a short break; we landed in a small clearing, taking a bottle of water and some snack bars out and eating lunch.

 

 “Hey, Machina-sensei?” Jirojin had just finished his snack bar and had already gulped down half the bottle he was holding. I saw Machina give him a quick glance. “What was your clan like?” I nearly choked; it wasn’t something anyone had ever asked when I was around.

 

 “My little brother and I rebelled against our father to become shinobi.” Machina had a smile on her face. “We Shiranami are famed blacksmiths throughout the Great Nations, but some of us wanted to hone our combat skills more than make weapons for a living.” I looked up into the trees, trying not to dwell on my mistake right before my dad died. “But we are never simple blacksmiths. We are pure weapon masters.”

 

 “Big Brother Zosuke doesn’t seem to be much for fighting.” Shirona was looking at me while I was still trying to keep my emotions under control. “All he does is forge weapons.” I grimaced, but I didn’t argue the point; she was right about that. I’d forged weapons so many times while on missions that I hadn’t done much else.

 

 “Shirona, that’s how he copes. Forging weapons helps him focus his energy so he doesn’t have to dwell too much on just how much he’s lost.” Hiro placed a hand on my shoulder and flashed a huge grin. “He’s a lot tougher than he looks, though, so don’t make him mad.”

 

 “Zosuke is no pushover. The night that the Shiranami clan was wiped out, he rushed in and tried to catch the man responsible.” Shogumo had a look of sympathy; not that it wasn’t welcome, but I didn’t care much for it. “He feels partly responsible for what happened that night.”

 

 “Zosuke…” Hikari laid her hand on mine as I turned to look at her. “Let’s go…” She took my hand and stood up, pulling me to my feet in the process. “Meet in Tanzaku…” Shogumo-sensei nodded, and Hikari led me away from the group until we were out of ear shot. “No need for that…” She hugged me tight and pulled my head into her shoulder; that was all it took for my emotions to run rampant for a while. I don’t remember how long I cried, but when I was done, I felt so drained. “Better, Zosuke…?” I nodded and wiped what tears remained as we began trailing behind the rest of the group towards Tanzaku.

 

  It took another two hours to catch back up, but by the time we did, we’d reached the outskirts of Tanzaku Town. The castle hadn’t yet been rebuilt after the incident three years ago, so tourism was a slight lower than what it once was. We spoke with what passed for a police presence there, and they sent us in the direction of a bar on the outskirts of the town where the body was found. Once we got there, Shogumo-sensei gave us the signal to split up. “If you guys get into any trouble, Zosuke will send a bolt of lightning into the air. Got it?” Hiro, Shirona, Jirojin, Girana, and I all nodded. “Good. Don’t get into any fights if you can avoid it.” With that, Shogumo-sensei, Hikari, and Machina all took to the rooftops.

 

 “So, what’s the plan now?” Hiro was looking at the outline of where the body had originally been found. I looked around slowly, taking in the scene. “It’s not like we’re going to find anything that team ahead of us didn’t.”

 

 “That’s where you’re wrong.” Hiro looked at me and noticed that I was pointing near the bottom of a door. “Wire; I think Goroshin was killed by the same guy who wiped out my clan.” I furrowed my brow and dismissed my long-term hatred; I was meant to find the wire and trace it, that much I knew. “I’m going to send a shuriken up in the air with a message for Shogumo-sensei.” I took out a small shuriken, maybe half the size of a standard one, and stabbed one of the points into my thumb; Shogumo would know how to read it. I sent the five-pointed metal star skyward, and it tracked in the direction that they had previously gone.

 

 “I feel like following this is gonna be a trap.” Hiro furrowed his brow; I nodded. “Zosuke, you follow the wire, we’ll keep checking around here.” We locked eyes and both nodded; I started following the direction of the wire where it wasn’t tied down.

 

  Pretty soon, Hiro’s hunch proved right; I’d fallen into a trap, and it wasn’t going to be easy to get out of. Just five minutes after I started tracing the wire, I was ambushed by a hooded figure wearing what looked like an ANBU mask; and not only that, they used Wind-Style, which nullified my Lightning-Style. Thankfully, my Metal-Style came in very handy. My hands flew through several seals, and light appeared in front of me, seeming to materialize something.

 

 “Metal-Style: Flash Forge Jutsu!” When the light faded, I was wielding two wakizashi blades. The figure tilted its head, but said nothing. “Don’t assume I’m ever unarmed. Let’s dance!” The fight lasted longer than I thought it would; the figure threw several shuriken that had been infused with Wind chakra, but thanks to my specialty wakizashi, I was able to deflect them and keep advancing. Then the hooded figure spoke for the first time since we began fighting.

 

 “Wind-Style: Dust Storm.” A huge cloud of dust raced through the city, reducing visibility to near-zero. “Foolish boy. You will suffer the same fate as those who defied us before.” It sounded like a woman’s voice, but with such a thick cloak and that mask, I couldn’t tell. What struck me as odd was that she had said.

 

 “‘Defied us before?’ What are you talking about?” Finally, we crossed blades, but the blade she had caused me to both flinch and begin a steady retreat. “How do you know the Metal-Style..?!”

 

 “Ha ha hahahaha!” She cackled and laughed maniacally as she charged; she had a Dragon’s Blade coming from her wrist, and I couldn’t tell if it was a genjutsu or reality. I stumbled, and she destroyed my wakizashi; I had no choice but to discard them.

 

 “Fine, then…! I’ll get serious!” I brought my arms up as she sent a powerful gust of wind at me; she charged, thinking I was still guarding, but I took advantage of her surprise when I threw my arms down. I had my own version of Dragon’s blade. “Dragon’s Sword Jutsu.” That’s all it took for her to realize she’d lost the fight; my long blades ripped through her defenses and tore the cloak and mask away, revealing her long white hair and blood red eyes. She was dressed in Shiranami garments; instead of sandals, she wore boots, and in place of shorts or pants, she wore a long skirt. She had a white shirt underneath a black vest, signifying her position as a blacksmith in the Shiranami Clan. “You’re a fake.” I charged at her, but I was thrown back by a powerful shockwave as chakra erupted from the ground around her; not just any chakra, though – silver chakra. I had no choice this time; I performed the horse seal and threw my hand into the air, firing off a bolt of lightning that cracked with a loud boom of thunder. I just hoped I’d be able to hold out until everyone arrived.


End file.
